February 23, 2006
Welcome to the jungle
SOU Theatre Arts presents Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’
By Richard Moeschl
Ashland Daily Tidings
Southern Oregon University’s Department of Theatre Arts continues its season of classic and contemporary plays with the opening of two very different shows.
The department has a commitment to regular productions aimed at young audiences. In the past, the university has staged “Winnie the Pooh,” The Wind in the Willows” and (Aesop’s)“Fable Tales.” This year’s offering is Monica Flory’s adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic children’s story “The Jungle Book.” The play brings to life the tale of Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves, his schooling by a bear and panther, and the tiger that threatens his life.
SOU Student Director Kevin Berg leads his 12 actors in an exploration of the disparate worlds of animals and humans, and the struggle to bridge the gap between them. The ensemble utilizes masks and movement to create a jungle environment. Live tribal music in the small theatre space underscores the voyage and fills the show with a jungle rhythm.
“The physical life of the characters is quite fun,” says department chair Chris Sackett, adding “It’s not Walt Disney.”
But true to its jungle setting, the play — while not violent — does depict the consequences if the head of the pack misses their kill. “They’re no longer the head of the pack,” Sackett says. “Mowgli learns lessons we hope he will carry into adult life.”
Continuing the university’s relationship with Southern Oregon Education Service District, there will be a special performance for the hearing impaired.
Vanessa Nowitzky will provide movement coaching, Ben Brown provides lighting and Lindsay Starr designed the costumes which include mask work and elaborate make up.
“The Jungle Book” opens at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 and runs Feb. 24-26 and March 3-5. Curtain times are Fridays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays at 11 p.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m.
The second show is an epic social drama featuring 27 actors portraying 87 characters. Dennis Smith directs David Edgar’s “Entertaining Strangers.” The play draws its title from Hebrews 13: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
“Entertaining Strangers” paints a detailed portrait of rural life from 1830s to 1860s, religious morality, deep poverty and “demon drink” in Victorian England. The play follows two families over the course of 30 years: the Moules, led by the devout and unrelenting pastor Henry Moule, and the Eldridges, led by the equally stubborn brew house owner Sarah Eldridge. There are characters in the play who represent actual people who lived during that era.
The play runs the gamut as far as life experience,” Sackett says. “It’s challenging stuff. A viable piece of theatre. It’s a great opportunity to have the experience. The cast is excited about the ensemble aspect of the show.”
Playwright Edgar won a Tony award for his adaptation of Charles Dickens‚ “The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickelby.” His adaptation of “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” will play at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this year.
Because of its scale, “Entertaining Strangers” is not staged often. It was produced at the National Theatre in England about 10 years ago, Sackett says.
“Rex Rabold (of OSF) had a copy of the play and he gave it to Dennis (Smith),” Sackett says. “Last year Dennis pulled it off the shelf and got excited. We wanted something from this period.”
Sackett describes the play as being written in the style of the “Nicholas Nickelby” adaptation. “Lots of episodes and lots of narration. We need to giver our students a wide variety of styles of time periods to work with.”
SOU’s production of “Entertaining Strangers” features traditional period folksongs arranged and orchestrated by OSF’s Maureen Patricia O’Scannell and traditional English country dances choreographed by Sackett and Brook Friendly. Bo Leyden provides arrangements for quartet moments. OSF actor David Kelly serves as the production dialect coach. Scene design is by Craig Hudson. Simone Kujac, costumes and Ariel Fuller, lighting, are students and their work is their thesis project.
It is a big costume show with many quick changes, Sackett says. And, he adds, it is a significant lighting show where a lot of realities are defined by lights.
“Entertaining Strangers” opens at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 2 and runs at 8 p.m. March 2-5 and March 9-12 , with a 2 p.m. matinee on, March 11.
Tickets for each play cost $17 for general admission, $14 for seniors and $5 for students. The box office is located in the Theatre Building on the Mountain Avenue side of the SOU Campus. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The box office opens two hours prior to every performance.
Southern Oregon University is the designated Center of Excellence in the Fine and Performing Arts for the Oregon University System. For more information, see sou.edu on the Web or call 552-6348.